Recognizing Consmer Reaction and Involvment to Advertising Hashtag: An Approach Based on Market Segmentation using Self-organizing maps

The purpose of this study is to identify different segments of consumers in social networks based on demographic characteristics, level of involvement and reaction to advertising through hashtags.

This research is a mix research with a combination of experiment and survey. The statistical population of this study consists of Iranian and international users of social networks. Response data to ads were collected through users' likes and comments on social networks and data on the level of involvement in ads through hashtags with a questionnaire in both face-to-face and online methods among 545 users.

Based on the findings of this study, consumers in social networks were divided into three sections: relatively rational non-involved consumers, rationally involved consumers, and relatively emotionally involved consumers.

The first part consists of men who have the lowest level of conflict compared to the other parts and after the second part have the most logical positive and negative reactions. The second part is composed of young women who have the highest level of involvement and the most logical positive reaction, the least logical negative reaction and also the most negative emotional reaction. The third section is considered to be the youngest section and its members are also women. So far, few studies in the world have examined the reaction of consumers to advertising through social networks, but no research has examined the reaction of consumers to advertising through hashtags,